'Often Our Emotions Get The Best Of Us And Lead Us Astray'

Dan Ariely, author and professor of psychology and behavioural economics, at Duke University, North Carolina, the US, studies the irrational ways in which we all behave. In his own words, he “looks at people not from a rational perspective, but from the irrational perspective. We basically ask questions around what we are doing that is not in our long-term best interest”. In an interview with Nidhi Sinha, Editor, Outlook Money, as part of the Wealth Wizards series, he talks about himself, his signature half a beard, how people can deal with irrationality, and the role of emotions like misbelief, trust, and human motivation in how people behave or make decisions. Here are the edited excerpts from the interview.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your half a beard.

My half a beard look is a little about my history, and a little bit about social science.

Many years ago, I was badly burned; about 70 per cent of my body was burnt. I spent about three years in hospital, and the right side of my face is all scars, and hair doesn’t grow on that side. But of course, I could shave, which made me look less strange. So, for many years I shaved.

Then a few years ago, I went on a month-long hike during which I didn’t shave. When the hike ended, I looked in the mirror and I didn’t like my look. But I thought I’ll keep this half a beard for a few weeks. I posted a few things on social media, and to my surprise, I got some messages from people who thanked me for my half a beard. These were people struggling with their own injuries. I was out there with my injury, and that gave them a little strength. For example, there was a woman in her 50s, who had a car accident when she was 17, and she hadn’t worn a skirt since then. She said she is going to try doing that now.

But the real interesting thing happened about four months down the line, when I felt that my relationship with my scars and injury has changed. The act of shaving, or the act of half shaving, for me, was also an act of hiding. Stopping shaving was incredibly helpful for self-acceptance.

It was also about social science. I am a social scientist, and I did not predict that stopping shaving would help with self-acceptance.

If you had asked me, how would it feel like to not shave, I may have said, on the first day, people would ask questions, point at me, kids would laugh. But if you ask me, what would be the effect four months down the road, and how would it change your self-acceptance, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. And I think that’s what social science is supposed to do.